New family members!

I'd like to introduce you to the two newest family members!

This is my Singer 99K. She was made in 1954 in Clydebank, Scotland. And she's one of 45,000 that were made in that serial number "lot". There are a few scratches on her, but after 57 years you can't expect anything to stay the same, can you?




I just love this photo!!!


This is my Singer 15K that was made in Clydebank, Scotland in 1937. There were 100,000 made and this one for some reason has a bird decal on it. I haven't been able to figure out why Singer did that, or how many others there are like it. But I have a treadle table that this machine will be put into and tuned up, and restored to it's original working condition. She turns like a dream though! I just have to figure out how to put the leather cord on the treadle itself and it should be running smoothly! :) Have any of you "threaded" up a treadle machine? I'll be sure and post how I did....it should be comical if not successful!



If anyone knows anything about this bird, please let me know! I'm very curious to find out everything I can!

3 legitimate excuses.....

Hello blog readers. I'm terribly sorry I've been gone for so long! The three legitimate excuses I'm using are (1) my schedule, (2) the weather, and (3) traveling.

I'm a stem cell research technologist and that requires LOTS of extra time in the lab, not just your normal 9-5er. Don't worry, we're not using the stem cells from embryos that all the hub-ub was about a few years ago. We use induced pluripotent stem cells. Basically, we can take a small sample of skin cells from a mature person, re-program them into stem cells by using different techniques, and then we can use those stem cells and turn them into virtually any cell type. Pretty neat stuff. But bottom line, the cells that we culture don't recognize weekends and holidays, so someone from the lab has to come in and change their cell media daily.....

And the weather here in Wisconsin has been NUTS! Honestly, one day the temperature is 96 in the shade, there's heat warnings and UV warnings all over the place, and the next day it's a high of 62 degrees with rain! What's going on? I love sewing and quilting, but when it's 95 degrees in our apartment, I cannot justify turning on my lamps, sewing machine and iron.....it's just too hot.

In the last month I've also been all over Wisconsin, as well as out to Montana. I took the Amtrak from Milwaukee to NE Montana at the beginning of all the flooding and made it back before they closed the rails down from Spokane to St. Paul. Although for that trip I found that you can have 2 carry on bags, besides your purse. So....I made myself a really big new purse! Photos are forthcoming.

The LQS (local quilt shop) I work at just received ALL of the Kona Cotton Solids!!!!! All 221 of them! I'm so stinkin' excited!!!!!

I rushed out last week and bought all the solids needed to make the Van Gogh Starry Night quilt by Carolina Patchworks. I have no idea when I'll be able to get around to it, but it's going to be a great rainy day project!!! It looks really fun! I love all the pixellated patterns by Carolina Patchworks!!! If you love solids, check them out! You won't regret it! :)

I've been busy planning quilts too....a few of my family members have also contacted me about making t-shirt quilts for them. I'm excited and honored that everyone likes my work so much that they would approach me for these special tasks!!! :)